The Magic in Their Blood
by TooOceanBlue
Summary: A human lay still, barely sticking out onto the sidewalk from the alleyway. Thin rivers of blood were flowing into a drainage pipe, watered down by the rain. Maka ran over as quickly as she could. She already had her phone out. It was Soul. Resbang 2016. Urban Fantasy AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright. This is actually my resbang from last year, origionally only posted on Ao3. But I decided I might as well post it here as well. So, with full disclaimer, here ya go! Enjoy!**

"Maka, are you ready to go?"

It was Tsubaki's voice that made Maka raise her eyes from her notes and look around. In the past ten minutes, her dorm common room had evidently filled up with students cramming their faces with junk food before their morning exams. Maka, meanwhile, had been cramming her test material. History was not her strong suit, seeing as what she was taught in university varied greatly from what she knew of the world as a wiccan.

"Yeah," she answered, swiftly closing her notes and standing up with a smile. "Just getting in some last minutes studying before our exam."

"Weren't you up until... _late_...last night reviewing?" Tsubaki asked as they walked out of the dorms. She didn't actually know how long her friend had stayed up, seeing as she had gone to bed at a reasonable time herself.

"Yes, but I just want to make sure I've got it all down. It's a tough subject, you know?"

"Hmm." She did know. Her own family had poured wiccan history into her head since before she could speak. Though she doubted Maka would do any worse than she ever did. Which was usually better than everyone else. Tsubaki let out a sigh. "Are we still going out tonight? To celebrate the end of the semester?"

Maka flashed another smile. "Of course. It'll be a relief to finally spend some time in our own world again. I've been so busy."

Tsubaki and Maka belonged to an aggregation of humans known as wiccans, a magical folk whose abilities derived deeply from their blood. While not as dangerous as the inherently destructive witches, wiccans still kept their existence largely obscured from a majority of the population. It was only a few hundred years ago, after all, that witches and wiccan alike were burned at the stake merely for existing as they did. _That_ was remembered in _all_ versions of history.

Now though, in a time when most people remained unaware of the magic around them, it was relatively safe for magic folk. When a normal human caught a glimpse of a spell, they didn't reach a pitchfork, instead attributing it to their own imaginations or a trick of the light.

"How do you think you're going to do?" Maka as her eyes followed the path of a butterfly not too far away from them. It was late spring, a time that marked both the end of the semester and a rejuvenation of many of the plants used in potions and spells. The magic store she worked at part-time should be getting new shipments soon.

"I think I'll probably pass. Though I've gotten a little less studying in than usual because I was trying to help Blackstar."

Maka groaned at the thought of her friend wasting her time helping Blackstar study. "Ugh, why did you even bother? He's a lost cause."

"I'm sure he's not that bad. He got into the same university as we did."

" _You_ didn't go to highschool with him. You didn't see his report cards. He's so busy trying to blow things up with magic that it's a miracle he even graduated. If it wasn't to compete with me, he'd probably end up skipping his own exams." There was emphasis in the last word as Maka shoved open the front door to building A.

"He wouldn't do that Maka, give him more credit. He's as ambitious as you are in his own right."

"Whatever." Maka grumbled, but she couldn't help the fond smile that snuck onto her face. Her childhood friend was a walking disaster. But if a good kind of disaster existed, he was it.

Maka rounded the corner to their classroom. And of course-

"Yo Maka, looks like I even show up to exams before you! That means I win, right Tsubaki?"

"Last night I told him you'd challenged him to a race" Tsubaki mumbled to Maka, before raising her voice to it's full volume. "Of course Blackstar, I guess you win."

"Ha! Of course I do! A mere mortal like you can't even dream of beating a star like me, huh Maka?"

Maka gritted her teeth. As much as he got on her nerves, she didn't have time for this today. She had an exam to prepare herself for! "Sure, Blackstar." Maka shoved past him as he cackled.

"Well, don't feel too bad, not everybody can be a star like me!"

Dumping her books next to her as she sat down, Maka took a deep breath and tooned out her friend's gloating. She had this. She really wasn't that bad at history, and she had prepared herself. It would be fine.

As the rest of her classmates streamed in, her proffesor following shortly after, Maka tried to convince herself that her exam wasn't that big of a deal, arguing that she wouldn't enjoy herself that night if she was busy worrying about her score. Breath in, breath out.

Maka dug through her closet, looking for that red dress that _she knew she had, but was just buried too deep for her to find._ How did anything even get lost in such a small closet? She knew she hadn't been out in a while, but Maka liked parties, it hadn't been _that_ long. She _must_ have gone somewhere over spring break- or not. She had visited her papa for a few days, but was quick to flee, rushing back to her college a town over under the premise that she had to start making up note packets for her finals, which she _did_ do. And she'd been studying them ever since, declining Tsubaki's offers, Blackstar's _insistence_ , and even Kid's occasional invitation in favour of preparing for her finals.

Well, the exam hadn't been that difficult after all. And now she had nothing to worry about until next autumn, except finding her dress!

Of course it was just as she thought this, she found it, crumpled up on the floor. Instinctively she wanted to blame Blackstar, before her brain caught up to her and she realized it was very likely that it just fell of the hanger and there was absolutely no reason for him to target her closet. Laying her dress down on her bed, Maka turned back to her closet, reaching into the back where she kept a box of several pre-brewed spells, including one that removed wrinkles. _Gotta love modern magic_ , she thought, pouring a bit of the liquid into a spray bottle. Within moments, her dress was as smooth as the day she bought it.

Tugging the dress over her head, Maka turned to the mirror that hung over her nightstand. _Perfect_ , she thought. _Now for makeup_.

When Tsubaki finally showed up at her door, Maka was just checking her reflection a final time.

"Maka, you look so nice! Are you ready to go?"

"Yep!" Maka stepped out next to her friend, locking her door behind her. Maka lived in a small apartment that she hated to admit her father paid for most of. Still, it was nice to be able to have her own place. No drunken roommates to worry about.

Tonight, her and Tsubaki were going out to what Maka liked to consider a wiccan nightclub. It was honestly more of a classy hangout for people just a little too old for her to really relate to as a college student, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She was friends with the owner's son, as well as some of the employees, and since Tsubaki's family was one of the oldest and wealthiest in the wiccan world, they had special access to the blackroom, a private place where she could go if Blackstar decided to wreck the main lounge. Which he undoubtedly would, whenever he got there.

After a short ride in Tsubaki's car, they arrived at a mostly empty parking lot behind a complex of buildings. They got out, and walked briskly towards a crack in the back wall of the closest brink building. Tsubaki looked both ways and leaned in, breathing whispers of magic into the crack. Within moments it had expanded into a crevice deep enough to enter. The two women walked through the makeshift hall for a few minutes, eventually reaching a door. And they entered to Shibusen.

The room around them was crowded with Wiccans. Some sat in corner booths, talking and catching up, some played pool or darts. Other's still stood around, or sat at the bar. It looked, by all means, like a usual bar, but it was a place where one could openly use magic if they were caught by the whim, where news of the wiccan world was called across the room and posted on the walls instead of whispered behind closed doors. Subtle differences on the surface, covering an atmosphere of comfort that few situations could rival for her kind. Here, as strange as it seemed, was home.

Just as Maka was breathing a comfortable sigh of relief, she felt a strong figure slam into her side. And tug her into a grapple-hold. "Maka! It's been way too long!"  
"Hey Patty," the slightly smaller girl said, taking a dizzy step back. "How are you?"

"I'm great! How are you? I haven't seen you in like a _year_!"

"I'm good, thank you. And you saw me at christmas. I got you that puzzle, remember?"

Patty's eyes widened and shone. "Oh, that's right! That was hard, Kid helped me with it. But it had a giraffe!" she laughed, turning to run around the room. "Giraffe! Giraffe!"

Tsubaki chuckled, making her way to the back room now that their greeter was thoroughly distracted. Tsubaki belonged to a very old, very wealthy family, and as such, she could often afford such privileges that others could not. One was these privileges was being able to afford the black room at Shibusen, a place that was much more private, and slightly nicer in her opinion. Not that she had a problem with people, it was just that Shibusen could get a little crazy at times, especially when you throw Patty and Blackstar to the mix. She let out a sigh. _Those two._

Tsubaki and Maka made their way to the back room, greeting friends of their parents and acquaintances alike, before they finally made their way to the blackroom. Sid, the manager of the place and somewhat of an unofficial guard, smiled at them as they made their way back. He was a rather strange looking man, permanently disfigured from a near-death experience that he had only come back from through a complicated magic and medicine procedure. He couldn't go out in the human world without an illusion spell. Here though, despite his zombie-like appearance, he was safe. Just one of the perks of living in the wiccan world.

Finally, after weaving through dozens of individuals, (and an old friend of Maka's father's who in her opinion was just as sleazy as him) they reached the blackroom. Tsubaki barely had to brush her fingers against the door before it opened for the both of them, allowing entrance.

The blackroom was stylized like an old lounge, the color scheme, as one would guess, was primarily black and red. A grand piano stood in the center of the room, though Maka had never seen it played, and a usually empty bar lined the back wall. Usually empty, when Tsubaki and Maka were visiting.

Today a young man sat there, not much older than herself, with white hair and red eyes. A striking combination, though "unnatural" eye colors amongst wiccans were not altogether unusual. Tsubaki's were lavender. And while unnatural hair colors were less common, they were still an ever-present part of her life, typically in the form of of that damned blue-haired gremlin. Another glance at the white-haired man and her thoughts were soothed. He seemed calm, holding a seemingly pleasant conversation with Liz, Patti's older sister and the usual bartender in the black room. Nice.

"Oh, hey Tsubaki, Maka. How have you been?"

"Busy with university." Tsubaki answered sheepishly, setting down her purse and sitting at the bar just a few seats away from the man. Maka sat between them. "It's been a while"

"It's fine. I understand. Kid's making me take some courses, and even _that's_ a heavy load. You're done now though?"

"Until next autumn, yes." Tsubaki smiled. "We're here to celebrate."

"In that case, first drink's on me," Liz grinned "or on Kid. The usual?"

"To start off yeah. Right, Tsubaki?" Maka was usually pretty tame with her alcohol, even when she was celebrating. She couldn't handle it very well, and it tended to make her magic go a bit crazy. It was the price she had to pay, she supposed, of being such a powerful wiccan. Of being her parent's daughter.

"Right."

"And you, piano-man? I might as well get you something too." Liz, looked over at the third person at the bar as she mixed Tsubaki and Maka's drinks.

"Ugh, whatever." He grumbled, decidedly away from Maka and Tsubaki.

"Then you get beer. And Soul, these are my friends. Tsubaki and Maka." She gestured to the two. "They're friendly. Don't act like a grumpy cat. Tsubaki, Maka-" She set down their drinks. "This is my friend Soul. He has pretty good taste in music. He's also a very bitter person for no discernible reason."

Music! The mention of the word caused Maka to realize that there was a different style playing quietly from the speakers around the room than usual. Something jazzy?

"Did you pick this out?" Maka asked, leaning towards Soul, who leaned slightly away from her. When he raised his gaze, he seemed to be almost taken by surprize, behind layers of discomfort, as if people rarely bothered to speak to him and it was a fact he revelled in.

"Uh, yeah."

"What is it? I'm not great with music, but it sounds like jazz? I like it, anyways."

Soul almost laughed, albeit bitterly. (really more of a low exhale out of his nose, but it counted). "Yeah, it's jazz."

"Who is it?" This boy was offering the most miniscule amount of elaboration that she'd heard since she met Tsubaki. Most people _liked_ to talk.

Soul's jaw tensed at that. "I really wasn't expecting anyone else to be in here tonight. Liz wanted to hear it."

"And what is 'it'?" Maka's interest was spiked _of course_. Who got this defensive about _a song_?

"Just music. Do you usually come here?"

Fine. If he really wanted to be that way, she could just ask Liz later. At least his attempt at changing the subject had trapped him into a conversation. That was her original goal, after all. "Sometimes." Maka took a sip of her drink. "I haven't come in a couple of months though. We've been busy with college, like Tsubaki said. The semester's over now though, so we'll be here more often if work doesn't get in the way. Are you in university?"

"No. I graduated last year."

"Really? I'll be a senior next year. What's it like?"

"I doubt my experiences would be any help to you."

Maka pouted. "Why?"

"You just don't seem like the type."

"What type?"

"I don't know. Nevermind. It wasn't supposed to be an insult. We're just different."

Maka didn't know whether or not to be insulted, but at least he was finally holding a conversation with her. It was easier than she thought it would be, though he still seemed more reserved than she'd like.

"What did you major in?" Tsubaki asked, leaning around Maka. She had a gentle voice, one that conveyed how much she really cared about someone's answer, which may have prompted the slight softening of Soul's voice.

"Music."

Smiled more brightly. "That's wonderful! My parents wanted me to take up an instrument when I was younger, but I proved to be rather awful at it. Yours are very lucky to have such a talented son."

"Tch. My brother's the talented one."

"Well, that doesn't mean you aren't. I'm sure you're wonderful."

"He is." Liz leaned her arms on the bar. "He can play any piece of music you put in front of him like he's been practicing it his whole life. And you know that I have a good ear."

"What do you play?" Maka asked, leaning forward.

"...Piano."

Maka's eyes lit up. "Really? Will you play for us?" She pointed to the grand piano in the room like a child pointed to a new toy they wanted.

"Umm-"

Suddenly there was a crash and a scream from the other room.

"Looks like Blackstar's here." Liz sighed.

"Actually he's been here for a few minutes." Patty cackled , running into the room and slamming the door behind her. "I made him drink some paralysis potion before he had both feet in the door so I could draw on his face. He's super pissed now!"

"Patty, you know you aren't supposed to provoke him!" Tsubaki scolded. She hated to think of the mess that Sid and Nygus would have to clean up, and the fit Kid would throw if he showed up before they did.

"Too late!" Patty laughed, literally _jumping_ behind the bar like it was some kind of barricade. She began to mix some of the ingredients behind the bar, undoubtably into something at least mildly explosive.

Liz sighed, a noise containing as much resigned regret as Maka could imagine.

"I'm gonna leave now." Soul said, grabbing his leather jacket from the back of his chair and dropping some money on the countertop.

"Wise." Liz answered. She could already feel a headache coming on. Her little sister, as much as she loved her, was bad enough on her own. When you brought Blackstar into the equation...Liz shuddered.

Soul hesitated before looking back at Tsubaki and Maka. "It was nice to meet you."

The two women smiled, Tsubaki like a mother, Maka like a youthful friend. "You too, Soul." Maka answered. "Hopefully we'll see you around!"  
"Sure." Soul left then, like a frightened cat, at the popping sound behind the bar and the smashing sounds from out front.

Maka and Tsubaki turned back to Liz, who was already rubbing her temples and resigning herself, as she did nearly every weekend, to the disaster-zone that her bar would soon become. Sometimes she swore she had less to worry about when she lived on the streets.

"I'm sorry I ever let them meet." Maka offered.

Finally- or rather way too soon- the door to the black room came crashing down, revealing a fuming young man with blue hair and parade of doodles on his face. "Oh, you're gonna get it now, blondie!"

"Fire in the hole!" Patty shouted. She popped up from behind the bar like a military man, throwing a fizzing concoction as near to Blackstar as she could. It exploded on contact, shrouding him in yellow-ish smoke. Coughing, he ran forward. Yellow and brown dots were forming on his skin. Patty cackled and jumped back out from behind the bar and over Blackstar, who was charging at her like a rhino. He skidded, and turned.

"Blackstar, Maybe you could be a little calmer tonight?" Tsubaki asked as he passed by her.

"No way in hell, Tsubaki, the little kid's goin' _down_ tonight." He hardly stopped for a moment to answer her.

Blackstar and Patty chased each other around the room like toddlers, only they were fully grown todders on steroids with extensive experience in combat and an endless supply of magic. They ran into the front room.

"They were in here for like, a minute." Liz looked near tears, already assessing the damages. "Do you see this? And they'll probably be running around here for at least an hour more!"

"I'm sorry, Liz." Tsubaki offered, placing a hand over her friend's. "At least they each have someone to play with."

"At least there's that." Liz responded miserably.

"I think we're going to go now too, Liz." Maka said. "Tsubaki's driving home, so she can't have too much to drink anyway, and I'm actually feeling pretty tired after my finals."

"Alright." Liz answered, lowering her head into her arms partially in defeat and partially to rest in preparation for the hell-hole she'd be cleaning out in a short while. "G'night, guys."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight Liz!" There was another bang, and a half-delighted, half-enraged shriek that could have come from either Patty or Blackstar.

Liz chuckled. "Get outta here while you still can."

Despite the ruckus, or more likely because of it, Tsubaki and Maka were able to make it through the front of Shibusen in less time than it had taken them to come in, now capable of avoiding intersection of all their acquaintances, who were distracted by the ever-destructive Patty and Blackstar. Maka swore she wouldn't be surprised if the two of them turned out to be full-fledged witches.

Back in their car, Maka leaned back against her seat in relief, laughing. "They're monsters."

"Our monsters." Tsubaki agreed. Bushing a few strands of hair behind her hair.

"Are you ready to drive?" Maka asked, nodding towards the dashboard.

"I'm sober enough." Tsubaki answered. "I hardly took a sip. I just need to calm myself down from all that chaos."

"I get that." She sighed, smiling as Tsubaki turned to key in the ignition.

The dark drive with Tsubaki was comfortable, as it always was. Maka had met the taller girl her freshman year of university. She'd had to apologize for Blackstar after he'd nearly run her over on his way to orientation, unknowingly knocking most of her books onto the ground. Tsubaki, while not as avid a reader as Maka, did have a good taste in books. After inviting her to coffee as somewhat of an apology-in-advance for all the trouble Maka already knew Blackstar would cause, the two had hit it off. Connected further by being the only ones at their school _sometimes_ capable of reigning in Blackstar, they'd only become closer since. Maka considered Tsubaki to be her best friend, and vice versa.

"So what did you think of Soul?" Tsubaki asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"He seemed nice."

"Yeah, if a little shy."

"Yeah. He wasn't as difficult as I thought he'd be, though. It was nice to meet him."

"Maybe we'll see him again. Liz has talked about him before. I'm pretty sure the music that was playing in there was his."

"Really?" Maka thought back to the jazzy piano piece. She had really liked it, and she usually only listened to j-pop. "I wonder why he was so embarrassed about it, it was really good."

"It was, but some people are like that. It's really a shame."

"I know."

"Hopefully he'll grow into his skill. Either way, I hope we get to know him better. Liz seems to like him, and it'd be nice for him to come out of his shell so we could see what all the fuss is about."

"Yaeh."

"You had fun though? We left kind of early."

"Yep. I just hadn't realized that I was so tired from finals. We'll have more time to celebrate this summer."

"Of course." Tsubaki smiled. "Maybe we can celebrate all of your aced classes once we get our final grades."

"I hope so. I feel like I did pretty well. What about you?"

"I think I at least passed." Tsubaki chuckled. "Spending so much time helping Blackstar study really got a lot of the details drilled into my brain, since I had to go over them with him so many times."

"Do you think he passed?" As much as Maka lamented, she did care about how well her obnoxious friend did. She didn't know what she would do if he wasn't growing right alongside her every step of the way.

"He was bragging about how well he did, though you know how much that's worth. I'm sure he did fine though. As much as he messes around-"

"Succeeding is something he really cares about."

"Yaeh."

Tsubaki pulled into the parking lot of Maka's apartment complex and parked next to her door. "Make sure to get some some good sleep tonight. You have a lot to catch up on."

"I will, you too." Maka leaned across her seat to hug her friend goodbye. "Goodnight, Tsubaki."

"Goodnight, dear."

Maka got out of the car, waving goodbye as she entered her small apartment. It really had been a long night.

After changing out of her dress, Maka took no time getting into bed and plugging in her cell phone. Before she closed her eyes though, she noticed a new message, from Liz.

 _Soul appreciated your friendliness, even if he didn't show it. Thanks._

Maka smiled, sending back a quick reply.

 _I'm glad._

That was the whole point, after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Maka was working the next weekend. She was employed at a wiccan shop (a luxury granted to few university students, as there weren't very many of them) that was owned by an old friend and classmate of her father's.

Professor Franken Stein had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember, , and his wife Marie nearly as long. While the older man wasn't unkind, he did possess a rather disturbing fascination with the effects of different magical remedies, both positive and not, on the human body, and Maka was never able to get rid of that tiny bit of paranoia that one day he was going to try to poison her. She trusted him, of course, would trust him with her life, but there was always the possibility.

Marie on the other hand, was warm and bright, holding no interest in potentially dangerous sciences, and even seem to contain her husband's more effectively than anyone else ever had. Stein was the creepy uncle, Marie was the sweet aunt who baked you cookies and brushed your hair. Both were very fitting in Maka's life, and when they offered her a part-time job when left for college, she was ecstatic.

Their shop primarily sold ingredients that were a little more difficult to come buy locally, receiving imports from all over the world. They also offered some pre-made concoctions, and held a wide variety of books. Primarily spell-books, but some ordinary novels as well, just in case a no-maj made their way in. This was unlikely though, as the shop was protected by an enchantment that made it fade into the backdrop for most anyone without magic in their blood. Like Shibusen, it was another peaceful place. Maka loved it.

It was a Sunday afternoon, and rather slow, so Maka was taking the opportunity to browse a few of the novels that she had not yet come across. WIth studying and all, she hadn't had much time to read for pleasure lately, and was pleased with the chance. Her summer was off to a splendid start.

"Maka?"

Maka looked up from her book as Stein stepped out of the storage room, holding a small box in his hands. "Yes?"

"I have an order here for a customer. His younger brother should be coming to pick it up in about half an hour." He placed the box on the desk in front of her, and Maka checked the name.

"Wes Evans?" She looked up at Stein. "Like, Wes Evans, the violinist? From the old Evans family?"

"He is."

"I didn't know he had a younger brother."

"And the brother apparently wants to keep it that way. Try not to make a big deal about it."

"If that's what he wants." Maka shrugged her shoulders. She could see the appeal of a more secretive life, especially if your family was one as well known as the Evans were throughout both the magic-less and wiccan worlds. Normal humans knew them as a long line of composers and musicians. Wiccans and witches knew them as one of the oldest magical families still around.

Stein returned to the back, probably to work on some creepy spell. Maka studied the box, and the slip of paper that held the information concerning its contents. Mostly just some plants, though there were some less common ingredients. All of them were imported specially though, which would explain why Mr. Evans would have ordered ahead.

Before she got to wondering too much more, Stein stuck his head through the doorway again. "And Maka, he's going to want to pick up a copy of 'Ancient World Spells' as well. As far as he's told me, he's been wanting to learn more about eastern magic, since his schooling has been primarily european. He won't know what to do with those ingredients without a proper instruction manual."

"Of course." Maka answered. She'd probably like this Wes Evans. She didn't know much about him from his music, a she wasn't really, er, fluent in that particular language, but she appreciated the fact that he was apparently trying to expand his studies into other cultures. The search for knowledge and understanding was always a noble pursuit in her eyes.

Half an hour or so later, the bell above the front door rang, alerting her to a customer. Straightening herself up at the counter, maka prepared to greet him when-

"Soul?" There he was, looking even more disgruntled than a few nights ago now that he was in broad daylight.

"Maka? You work here?"

"Yaeh. Are you… are you here to pick up an order?"

"Uh...yeah. For my brother."

"Wes Evans is your brother. You're an Evans." Maka Blinked. "Of course. that explains why Liz said you were so good on the piano, you're an Evans!"

"Ugh, hardly. Look, I'm just here to pick up Wes' order."

"Right, of course." Maka pushed the box across the counter, towards him. "Uh, wait, I've got to get a book for you as well." Maka made her way towards the many bookshelves. Soul followed a few feet behind. "So. Are you studying foreign magic too?"  
"No. I'm fine with what I know, thanks." He sounded bored. Well, at least it was better than the nervous opposition she was met with before.

"Well, that's a shame, it really is interesting to-"

"We can't all be overachievers." His tone was dropping more and more every time he spoke. Maka bristled.

"That's not what I meant, I just-

"I know, I know, you didn't mean anything by it." He held his hands up at if to pacify her. "Sorry. I'm just here to pick up my brother's order."

"Yaeh." Maka slid a copy of 'Ancient World Spells' out of it's place on the shelf. It was a popular book, especially during the summer when school-age wiccans had more time to study magic. Walking back up to the cash register, Maka added the book to the tab as Soul pulled out his credit card. Maka rang everything up. "Alight, you're good to go."

"Thanks." Soul grabbed the book and the box from off the counter.

"It was nice talking to you." Maka offered.

Soul didn't hesitate as he had before, waving at her over his shoulder as he left. "You too. See you later."

"Bye!"

Maka watched him leave, and looking outside, finally noticed how late it was getting. She should be off very soon.

Just as she thought that, Marie walked out of her office. "Maka, did you take care of that order?"

"I just did."

"Well, if you're ready to go, you can leave if you just help me carry in a few new orders to the storage room." Marie placed a hand over her recently-expanding stomach. It's been getting a bit difficult to lift things lately."

"No problem!" Maka followed Marie outside, taking the boxes from the delivery man as Marie signed for the order. It only took a few minutes for them to find their place in the storage room, with how organized everything was kept. While it mostly didn't matter, some magical items _were_ dangerous if not stored properly, especially some of the ones that Stein and Marie got imported.

Maka made her way back out front to Marie. "Anything else?"  
"No. you can clock out now. Make sure to have a safe drive home though, it's getting pretty dark."

"I'll be fine." Maka smiled. Marie had always been a little protective of her, an attribute that had only seemed to increase as Maka became older. She didn't mind.

Maka made her way out to her old used car, making sure she had all of her things in her purse before turning the key.

Her drive home was rather dark, as Marie had warned her of, though it usually was. The sun was almost completely hidden behind the horizon, casting long, beautiful shadows over the city. Things were peaceful.

Soul had no problem doing errands for his brother, really he didn't. Wes was the only member of his family that he could stand, so if he wanted a favor, Soul was ready to oblige, even if he would complain about it for days on end. He was fine with wasting his Sunday afternoons at random little magic shops and he was even fine with making smalltalk with the girl who worked there, who justs happened to be friend's with Liz.

What he was _not_ fine with was running into witches on his way home and getting the shit beaten out of him. Which is of course what was happening. A tall girl and three mousy ones, all with destructive magic at the ready behind the element of surprize. He hardly had time to widen his eyes in shock before he was knocked to the ground, paralyzed. He didn't lose consciousness though. Not even close. That just made the gaping hole in his torso worse. That just made the blood pouring out of him into the street all that more dandy.

 _Too bad there's no one else on the street_ , he thought, in a mundane way that in no way showed what should be terror, and Soul suddenly regretted what he had been praising just a moment ago. For the first time in his life Soul wished that he was around people. How fucking ironic.

He saw Wes' ingredients leave his line of sight on the ground, lifted up into the hands of the taller witch that had ambushed him.

"Wow, nice stuff. I'm not sure what you were planning, but I'm sure I can use it for something. Right Mizune?

Soul heard only a kind of snickering noise in response. He was focused on the blood pouring out of his chest on his brother's order, on the empty street, on the fact that he had told that shop girl 'see you later' as if that was ever gonna happen even if he wasn't about to die on an empty street on a Sunday night surrounded by witches. Killed by witches. The chances of being murdered were...he didn't know what they were. They were small enough that he didn't know. He wondered who he'd pissed off.

He didn't mind doing errands on a Sunday night.

A dark night.

Dark.

Light.

The sterile light of the hospital waiting room did no good for Maka's grip on reality. It made her feel like she was still in a dream, like she couldn't bother to recall everything that had just happened because _it really hadn't._

She took a breath.

"Tell us what happened." The officer said. She recognized his face, because he worked with her father. Her father, thank god, was off tonight. She hated to think of what she was would have to deal with when he found out.

Maka took another breath. Recap.

 _She'd been driving home from work. She took the backroads, because even after rush hour she felt there still might be some lingering traffic, since it was raining._

 _Something to her left caught her eye. It was white, like some fluffy persian cat on the edge of an alleyway._

 _She pulled off to the side of the road. If it was a feral cat, she had some boxes in the back of her car. If she couldn't manage to get it back to her house, the least she could do was offer it a little shelter from the weather, as it clearly had none._

 _She got out of her car._

 _I was not a cat._

 _A human lay still, barely sticking out onto the sidewalk from the alleyway. Thin rivers of blood were flowing into a drainage pipe, watered down by the rain._

 _Maka ran over as quickly as she could. She already had her phone out._

 _It was Soul._

 _Soul? A person she knew? A person she had just met, lying on the sidewalk. Bleeding out._

 _At least she knew he was a wiccan._

 _42-42-564._

 _At least she knew he was a wiccan. She could call the hospital that could actually attend to any magic-related injuries. The dispatcher told her they were sending an ambulance as she began to relay instructions._

 _Stay with him. Lay him on his back if his injury is on his front, then don't move him. Try to stop the bleeding if it persisted, but do not use any magic. Wait._

 _Maka waited. The ambulance showed up. Soul was still breathing. She got into her car as he was loaded into the truck. She followed to the hospital._

Maka relayed the events to perfection, well-practiced from all the times she'd had to calm her neurotic father. She was anything but calm now, though. The officer must of recognized as much. He put his pad back into his pocket.

"Wait with your friend tonight. We'll give you a call in the next few days." He sighed, and patted her on the shoulder. "Sorry you got dragged into this, kid. Your father's gonna throw a fit."

Maka tried to look up at him. She did not smile, but her eyes were clear, as they always were. "I know."

"G'night."

"Good night."

The officers cleared out just a quickly as they arrived. But as they left, someone else rushed through the doors. Someone Maka would recognize from countless articles and magazines, if not from an obvious resemblance.

"My brother." He was out of breath, seeming to have had run from his car to the front desk. "My brother is in here. Soul. Evans. Solomon." He was panicked, impatient. Maka thought of how calm he had seemed in interviews. But, of course, now, he couldn't be.

"Calm down, sir." The receptionist that Maka had spoken to earlier was not less patient than she had been with her. "May I have your name?"

"Wes Evans." Maka noticed his grip on the counter tighten. "And my brother's name is Soul."

"What's his birthday?"

"June 29th, 1993."

The receptionist, studied her computer screen, then looked up at Soul's brother. "It looks like Dr. Medusa is just finishing up your brother's procedure. Things seem to have gone well, but you won't be able to see him for at least another hour. I'm sorry. Why don't you take a seat next to that young lady over there." She pointed at Maka, who quickly looked away as Wes locked onto her gaze, a confused look in his own eyes. "She came in with your brother. "

Wes ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, Thank you." He walked over to Maka and sat down next to her. "Hello." There was obviously still tension in his voice. "I'm Wes Evans." He offered her his hand, which she took. "Do you know my brother?"  
"Maka Albarn. I...he's a friend of a friend. I...found him on my way home from work."

Wes took a breath. "Thank you so much."

"Of course."

They sat in silence, before Maka realized who she was sitting with. "Oh!" Wes glanced over at her as she reached into her bag. "Uh, this might not be the right time, but, um…" she pulled out a small container of herbs. "I have your order. That Soul was picking up. I work at the shop. I was driving home from work when I found him."

Wes stared at her for a moment, before letting out a short laugh and taking the box. "Well, thank you, I suppose."

"No problem." Maka laughed as well a bit uncomfortably. "Gosh, I'm sorry, now's not really the time."

"It's really okay. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I'll make sure Soul gives you a good customer review when he wakes up. He'll probably be insulted at even the suggestion. He was rude to you, was he?"

"Oh, not at all. He really seems nice under the toothy scowl."

Wes chuckled, for real this time. "We can hope."

A woman entered the waiting room then, obviously a doctor. She walked right up to Wes. "You must be Soul's brother."

He sobered up in a second. "I am."

"I'm Dr. Medusa. I was taking care of your brother."

"It's nice to meet you, doctor."

"You as well, Mr. Evans. Moreso, I'm happy to tell you that Soul's procedure was a success. We just had to stitch him up and give him a transfusion. He's asleep now, but family can visit." She glanced at Maka. "Are you related, dear.'

"Oh, uh, no, I'm just a friend."

Dr. Medusa's face creased with sympathy. Well, I'm afraid you won't be able to visit tonight. I'm very sorry. I know you must be worried, but I assure you that your friend is fine. You can come back tomorrow."

"Oh, it's no problem. Thank you, doctor."

"It's my pleasure. The receptionist will have Soul's room number." Dr. Medusa glided out of the room as quickly as she had entered, and Wes turned to Maka.

"I'm going to see Soul, but I really can't thank you enough." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "Please, feel free to contact me."

"Thank you."

"Thank _you_. Truly. I hope the remainder of your evening is pleasant, Maka."

"You too. And wish Soul a quick recovery for me."

"Of course." Wes turned towards the receptionist's desk, and Maka left towards her car.

Getting into the driver's seat, Maka took the breath she's been needing for _hours_. Thank god she didn't have work tomorrow. She glanced at her phone. 12:44 am. But more importantly, _29 missed calls_ from _Dad_. Maka made a whining noise in the back of her throat. She couldn't deal with this tonight. Maka opened a text.

 _Dad, I'm fine, just tired. I will call you tomorrow. If you show up at my apartment I won't talk to you for a month._

Send.

Maka put her phone back into her bag, and turned the key in the ignition. She'd deal with it tomorrow.

Medusa observed her experiment through the hospital cameras. She had identified him as a prime candidate months ago. Just stable enough to be accessible, not enough so that his sanity couldn't be corrupted. She had just needed a way to get ahold of him without drawing too much attention to herself. So she she applied to a wiccan hospital near his inhabitance. No one would question a transfusion from a trusted Doctor. No one would think that a supposedly wiccan woman would have access to witch blood, let alone that she would use it against her precious patients.

Well, _against_ wasn't the right word. Science didn't pick sides. It only determined the reactions of the world it dictated. It wasn't good or evil. It simply was. Just like her.

"What are you going to do now?"

Medusa turned to the younger women, narrowing her eyes at the insistent chittering behind Eruka.

" _We_ are going to observe the reactions of the witch's blood."

"W-We?" Eruka croaked. "N-No. You said that after we did this for you, you'd remove our binds!"

Medusa narrowed her eyes."Well, I do have the binds set to remove themselves from _one_ of you." She took a lazy step towards the women. "The problem is, I can't seem to remember who." She pursed her lips "Hmm...let's see. I believe it was…" She stood in front of one of the Mizune and broke into a smile. "Oh yes, it was you."

In a measureless moment, dozens of snakes had ripped themselves from the small girl's body. Her sisters and Eruka stared horrified for an instant before she fell to the ground with a dull thud. Medusa wiped a fleck of blood from her cheek. She turned back to the screens.

"Now, you best clean this up before she begins to rot."

Eruka trembled. "You- You're a monster!"

Medusa smiled. What a brave, stupid girl. "What do you mean? I was only removing her binds like she wanted." Her voice turned to venom again. "Now, clean this up before I leave tonight. I'm studying the what's _inside_ of this boy, not what's _outside_ of _her_.

Really, her subordinates were annoying. She could virtually _hear_ their shaking.

But at least they did as they were told. When she turned from her screen a few minutes later, the body was gone.

It had been a ten days since the incident. A week since he left the hospital. Four days since the fits had started. Soul loathed the term but could think of no other.

Soul had never been a particularly powerful Wiccan. It was utterly shameful for such an old family to sire such a mediocre magician. It was part of the reason his parents shut him out so much, not that he was opposed to missing out on pretentious dinner parties. Really, his barely average skill didn't bother him much, but now it was a problem, because he was losing control of what little magic he had.

Ever since he had been attacked, Soul had been having nightmares, featuring a little man that he had gotten to know more than he ever wanted to in the short time they had been acquainted. The demon. Annoying bastard.

They were just dreams, right? Obviously. It was natural for people's minds to pull shit like that after trauma, and he _had_ experienced trauma. Besides, wiccans had always had an affinity for dreaming up weird things like little red demons that claimed to be _you._

Only five days ago, he had walked into his living room one afternoon only to see that _thing_ standing next to his keyboard, almost mirroring the blackroom style dream sphere Soul usually met him in. It was anyone's guess why his brain room would be modeled after a bar he rarely visited.

He'd blinked and found things back as they should be. But the next day the same thing happened again. And then as he stepped out of the shower that night, his own face became as such that he couldn't distinguish it between that of the demon. He'd destroyed his bathroom mirror so quickly that he couldn't even remember doing so. Furthermore, it was clearly destroyed by _magic._ How the hell did he manage to cast any kind of destruction spell at the drop of a dime?

Since then his nightmares had only become more horrifying, and he'd only had more...fits. He'd see that _demon,_ or he wouldn't, and he would black out. Then he'd come to, his mana obviously drained. He needed help.

But there was no way he'd go to his family, despite their magical prowess. They'd throw a _real_ fit, Wes worst of all, since he actually cared. And he wasn't that eager to go back to the hospital either. He doubted Liz would be any help, except to enlist kid, who he'd only met once and had already decided he did not want to go to about anything even vaguely stressful. Then again, what other friends did he have?

Well…there was Maka Albarn.

The amiable girl had shown up in his hospital room the day after the attack, carrying a huge vase full of flowers and a mouthful of apologies.

She explained to him what had happened better than anyone else had bothered to, and she had refused to to leave his side before he had eaten something on his tray other than jello. Really? She'd then opened up that hellish pandora's box known as _small talk_ before his brother had come back from the hospital cafeteria to save him. But she still didn't leave. No, instead Wes offered her a seat- the damn traitor- and they started that gross, charming thing that his parents acquaintances did where they had a conversation about something _stupid_ like how _their third cousin just adopted a dog, and quite the troublemaker you know, do you have any animals, I prefer cats myself, Oh I have a cat_ and actually enjoyed it. Why were they like this? Of course it wasn't good enough for them to just torture him with being in the same room as these interactions, but they actually forced him to participate. And then, as Maka prepared to leave, Wes said those awful words that Soul should have honestly expected but was too emotionally exhausted to.

"I have to work tomorrow afternoon. If it's not too much to ask, would you mind terribly keeping him company then?" Company? What? No, Wes, why would you do this? And then His brother had _winked_ at him, like he was doing him a favor! (a/n should I tone it down here?)

And of course, Maka agreed. Undoubtedly, they were the two most evil specimens he would ever encounter.

But, despite how awfully cheery she was, once everything calmed down, Soul was forced to admit that he actually kind of...enjoyed her company. She was incredibly smart, passionate, and almost stiflingly optimistic in a really unstifling way. And she didn't make fun of him once, even when he was drugged up on painkillers and started spouting dumbass conspiracy theories. Though she did laugh a few times. Just not at _him_. He had to admit it was made him feel a bit more comfortable around her.

She'd visited him twice more while he was in the hospital. The day before his dischargement, she'd insisted that he have her phone number, just in case he wanted to "talk" or needed help or something. And he didn't immediately delete it from his phone. He didn't even delete the smiley face emoji she typed next to her contact. (a/n should he delete the smiley face? Are things too obvious?)

So Soul looked down at Maka's contact, smiley face and all, and held his thumb above the call button. She was a rather educated magician, seemingly in remedies as well as practical spells. It really wouldn't hurt.

 _ **Click.**_

She picked up on the third ring.

 _Hello?_

"Uh, hi, Maka."

 _Soul?_ He could virtually see her face light up on the other end of the line. Maybe he should be concerned at how easily he had not only memorized her face, but her vocal cues as well. _It's nice to hear from you! What's up?_

God he felt guilty for only suddenly calling her when he needed something. He had planned to call her anyway, maybe, but he just hadn't gotten around to it.

"Look, sorry to spring this on you, but I kind of need a...favor?"

 _Sure. What do you need? I just got off of work._

Really? She was willing to help, just like that? He almost scoffed. This girl was something else. "I'd rather..talk about it in person, actually, if that's okay with you?

 _Are you okay?_ Well that sure was a question.

"I'm...fine. But it's just something I'd like to talk over with you really quick." But why? She wasn't some kind of doctor, she wasn't going to know what's going on. He really should just suck it up and head back to the hospital, but...

 _Of course! Just tell me where and I'll be there!_

"I can meet you at your shop actually, if you're still there.

 _Yep! That'll give me a chance to take a look at some of the new spellbooks we ordered recently. How long til you're here?_

"Probably about 15 minutes.

 _Sounds good. See you, Soul!_

"See you."

 _ **Click.**_

That was it then. There was no backing out now. Soul glanced down at his phone again, as if to confirm that he's actually had a friendly, normal conversation with the person on the other line. That was something _friends_ did. Too bad he was about to screw it all up by being a complete _psycho._ Really, why again did he want to go to Maka about this. As much as he loathed admitting it, he actually kind of...liked being friends with her (if he dared call it that). It really wasn't necessary to throw all his brains fucked-up gears in her face.

Soul's phone buzzed. He had a text message. From Maka.

 _Can't wait to see you here! Hope I can help!_

Soul sighed and grabbed his jacket off the back of his couch. _Damn over-exitable, ready-to-help, pigtail-wearing weirdo._

There was no turning back now.

Maka sat on the bench in front of Stein's shop, perusing one of the new books that had come in. It was sort of a memoir-spellbook fusion, and very interesting. The author had spent the last three years traveling all over the world, studying the magics of cultures. It was amazing how separated wiccans were throughout the world, but it was authors like this one who helped bring everyone a little closer.

Speaking of which, it seemed all that time she had spent with Soul was paying off! He was coming to her for help! Maka hummed as she looked up at the bright sky. She'd only worked a half-shift, so there was plenty of time left in the day. Hopefully that time would be spent getting Soul to open up to her. If he was really as closed off as Liz and Wes said he was, then he more than anyone would need her to help him. People couldn't just get along with two friends, especially if one of those friends was their overbearing older brother. Maka herself adored Wes, but Soul, while he seemed generally fond of him as well, also spent at least 15% of their conversations complaining about him. Then again, Maka had heard that was usual with siblings. Her and Blackstar held a similar sentiment anyway.

It was about 15 minutes, as Soul had suggested, before he made it to the shop. He stood awkwardly in front of the bench as she leapt up to greet him, laying her book to the side.

"Hey, Maka."

"Hi Soul. It's nice to see you."

"You too." Maka allowed hardly a second of what would have curled into awkward silence to sit, before she asked Soul if he wanted to sit down.

Soul's eye shifted to the bench behind her for a moment, far too deep in thought over a seemingly simple question, before he answered. "Uh, Sure."

"O-Kay!" Maka sat back down as Soul did the same, turning to him with a smile bright enough to blind him. "What did you need?"

Her good mood made him uncomfortable. Couldn't she tell this was serious? Then again, Soul always acted a little irritated, so he couldn't really blame her for not picking up on his mood. He took a deep breath, readying himself for whatever her reaction might be, but he didn't answer. Maka's smile fell.

"Soul?" She leaned towards him, bowing her head and trying to catch his eye. Her tone was much softer than before. "Are you okay?"

Soul closed his eyes and leaned back. It was now or never. Who else did he have anyway? "Things have been...happening, since the accident."

Maka furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Soul glanced over. Her eyes were wide and green and wondering. And understanding. He steadied his resolve. "Just...I swear I'm not crazy, okay?"

"Of course not. Soul, really," She put a hand on his shoulder. _She put a hand on his shoulder._ If it were anyone else, he'd probably have the urge to bite it off, but he didn't. She… calmed him. "If it's about the accident, it's totally normal if you've been going through some stuff. You went through a lot."

He didn't know why he was okay with this. She was weird, she was too optimistic, too friendly, too ready to help him for reasons he couldn't really fathom. But maybe that's why it _was_ okay.

"I've been seeing things since the accident."

Maka cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"It started out as nightmares. Then I started to see things when I was awake. And yesterday I thought I saw it behind me in the mirror, and I blacked out, and when I woke up the mirror had been _destroyed._ By magic."

"Okay, hold on. What have you been seeing. Is it the people who attacked you?" Everyone involved had been brought in for questioning by the police in the last few days, and they'd come up with nothing.

"No. It's this...little demon thing."

"Little demon thing?"

"It keeps saying that it's me, that I should just give in to...something, I don't know. Look, I _know_ it sounds crazy but I don't know what to do. I'd probably just let it run its course if I hadn't been blacked out." He glanced at Maka again. She seemed invested, concerned certainly, but not as disturbed as he would have thought. "I'm not really sure why I'm telling you this. I don't know what you could do about it."

"I can." The sudden edge in Maka's voice startled him. When he looked at her again, her eyes were steel.

"Can what?"

"I can do something. I can help."

"How could you? I don't even know what's going on."

"Neither do I. But come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him up off the bench before he could respond. _What was with her and touching? What was with him and not caring if she did?_

She led him back into the front doors of the shop. Inside, a blonde woman was tending to a potted plant that rested on the front window.

"Oh, Maka! You're back! Did you forget something? Is that Soul?"

Maka didn't even slow her strides as she led him to the back room. "No and yes. I need to talk to Stein."

The woman's eyes followed their path quizzically. "Well, alright." She turned back to her plant, sprinkling what was undoubtedly some sort of potion onto the failing leaves.

Soul pulled back a bit. "You're taking me to Stein? As in the psych Doctor that runs this place?"

"He's not psycho, he's just...passionate about his work."

" _You_ told me he was psycho!"

"I said I _thought_ he was crazy when I was a kid, not that he _was_ crazy!"

"Same difference!"

"No it's not!"

"Ummm… Maka, did you want something?" The voice of the (debatably) insane man in question drifted to the far side of the room as he stared from his swivel-chair at the two who had just entered. Soul had been so caught up with Maka that he hadn't even realized she had lead him right into the lion's den.

"Yes!" Soul didn't even have time to complain before Maka pulled him (again) over to the doctor. She was a goddamn force of nature.

"Stein, this is Soul, the one who got attacked last week."

The man turned to study Soul, thick glasses gleaming. "I see."

There was quiet for a time, interrupted only by the ticking that Soul wasn't sure came from the clock on the doctor's wall. Soul fidgeted under the unnerving gaze of the man before he realized that Maka was waiting for him to talk.

"Oh like _hell_ I'm gonna talk to him." Soul growled at Maka under his breath.

"You talked to me!" she hissed back.

"You don't try to cut open endangered animals on a regular basis."

"That happened once!"

"Bet it would've been more if he could get his hands on 'em."

"Soul Evans?" The Doctor rose from his chair, and the younger pair fell silent. Maka wore a stubborn look. Soul wore a suspiciously bored one. The older man was intimidatingly tall, and the spiderweb veins under his sickly skin only became more evident as came closer. "You need to tell me what is wrong."

Soul was too tired to stand stalemate in a room full of mysterious ticking and frankenstein monsters and pigtailed women that all but gleamed with annoying persistence. He bared his teeth as he answered. "I've been seeing things since the attack."

Stein blinked slowly. Soul couldn't tell if it was his way of expressing surprise or if his face was just on some sort of automatic timer. "What kind of things."

"Not my attackers." Soul held back the bite in his tone. "Unless I was attacked by a three foot tall demon."

"Hmmm. " The doctor turned away.. "Physiological after-effects are common with things like this." He leaned back in his swivel chair." Though I suspect this is a bit more than that if Maka brought you to me instead of a psychologist. What else?"

Soul gritted his teeth. He hated talking about the weird shit that happened in his head. "I've been blacking out. When I wake up, things are destroyed. And unless I'm setting up extremely advanced destruction spells from scratch in my sleep, then I think there's something more to this. It _was_ witches who attacked me. Maybe they did something."

"And these lapses have been happening often?"

"I guess." Soul shoved his hands into his pockets. "Thev'e been happening more and more."

Stein pursed his lips and turned to his computer. "It is very uncommon for a wiccan to possess naturally destructive magic, unless of course they were of mixed descent. But considering your bloodline, I'd say we can rule that out right away. Besides, for you to only start experiencing symptoms so late in your life would be absolutely unheard of. So…" He turned back to the two. "I'm going to need a sample of your mana. Have you ever had it tested before?"

Soul stiffened, memories of his parents fretting, his parents desperation, his parents _insistence_ on test after test, because something _must_ have been wrong with him to have, being a son of an Evans, such weak magic. "Uh, yeah." he said. "When I was a kid."

"Then I'm going to need the results from those as well, if you can call your doctor to get them transferred to me." Stein stood up again and walked over to another crowded desk in the corner of his office. This was seemed more cluttered with herbs and crucibles than paperwork, and he pulled from the chaos a small metal device that Soul recognized all too well. He also held a small bag that smelled strongly of cloves and aniseed.

"Can you cast any minor protection spell?"

Soul twitched, insulted. "Of course." He may not have had the legendary mana of the Evans family, but he wasn't _weak._

"Good." He set the small device, along with the herbs, on his main desks, and beckoned Soul forward. "You're familiar with the procedure?"

"Yeah."

Stein opened the spout of the device as Soul stepped forward. "Then you can begin."

Soul rubbed his hands with the herbs, angling them down above the spout. A faint reddish glow, his mana, flowed from his fingertips as he whispered the incantation, and was drawn into the container. In only a few short moments, the collection was completed, and Stein closed the device, weighing it in his hands. "This should do it." He said, a small grin on his face as Soul narrowed his eyes. "It'll take a few days for me to get familiar with your mana, as I'm sure you know, and a few more to determine how it has changed- if it has- from before your attack, assuming I can get the records in a timely manner. You say these...destructive episodes have been happening more frequently?"

"Yaeh." Soul had a headache just from this conversation. It didn't help that he a cast a slightly more powerful spell than necessary. Whether to show off or to actually protect him from whatever crazy shit this old man might pull, didn't matter.

"Tell me Soul, do you live with your family?"

"I live alone." Soul's response came out sharper than expected, and Maka, who had been uncharacteristically unobtrusive during the conversation, angled her body just an inch closer to his. Not enough that he could call her out on it (not that he _would_ ), but enough that he noticed. Her proximity seemed a result of concern for his wellbeing more than anything. Soul scoffed internally. She was too sensitive.

The doctor didn't seem to notice the small transaction. "Then I suggest you find someone to keep an eye on you. It' would not be wise to be alone if these attacks are progressing as you say."

"I'm not gonna get a roommate over a few broken plates." _And some records, and the bathroom mirror, and an end-table_.

"I'm not asking you to get a roommate. I'm just asking you to keep a friend on standby. You have those don't you?"

Soul couldn't answer before Maka interjected. "I'll do it. It'll be easier for you to stay updated anyway if I'm involved."

Soul turned to the obtrusive Maka that he was becoming all-too-familiar with. "Stein said a friend. Who says you're my friend?"

"Um, You do?"

"I never said that!"

"You came to me with this!"

"Yaeh, only for you to drag me to-" Soul gestured at the doctor, who still sat in his swivel-chair, an amused smirk on his face. "To this guy!"

"And he's helping!"

"And who says that?"

"I do, actually." Stein answered. "But you want my endeavors to me timely, then I suggest you two leave me to my work."

Maka straightened up immediately. Soul simply slouched in a different direction. "Of course. Thank you so much Professor."

"You're welcome."

Maka grabbed Soul by the sleeves and pulled him out of Stein's office, to where Marie was now dusting off shelves just outside the door that Maka was sure she had dusted several times since the two had entered Stein's office. Marie always meant well, but she did have a habit of listening in on other's conversations.

If she had been listening though, she didn't say anything. She simply smiled and waved at Soul and Maka, wishing them a nice afternoon as they exited the shop.

As Maka stopped by the bench, Soul stood still, unsure what to do, or where to go, next. He didn't necessarily want to stay with Maka. He wanted some time to think about his sudden capacity for sharing his personal issues, but he wasn't sure if Maka would _let_ him go anywhere alone. She seemed like the kind of person to take her self-claimed responsibilities way too seriously.

Soul was distracted from his short lived contemplation, however, when an absolutely awful sound drifted to his ears. He glanced over at Maka, who had contently plopped herself down on the bench.

"What are you humming?" He asked. Really it sounded like some stitched together eighth notes littered unnecessary key changed and ridiculously repetitive rhythms.

Maka, however, apparently unaware of his tone of voice, perked up. "Oh, its a j-pop band I like. I don't listen to a lot of music, but I think their really good."

"If you think their good, then I really hope that you're just doing a really bad job of imitating their song."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're either more musically challenged than I thought was humanly possible," Soul tried to smirk, but it didn't to much to hide his genuine disbelief "or you have crap taste in music."

"Oh, don't you insult my music Mr. 'I play jazz'. Who even still listens to jazz?"

Soul gaped. "It's classic!"

"It's boring."

"Really? Have you ever even listened to it?"

"I've heard enough."

"You literally just said that you don't listen to a lot of music."

"I know enough to know that Jazz went out of style almost a century ago!"

Soul sighed. He didn't think he knew of anyone who would argue with him over something so pointless. Especially something they clearly knew nothing about. "Look, Maka. You really want to 'keep an eye on me'?".

Maka's brow creased in confusion at the sudden change in subject. "Yeah…?" She answered slowly.

"Then come over to my apartment tomorrow. You can keep an eye on me and I can make you listen to _real_ music."

Maka huffed. "Okay, first of all, my music _is_ real music, and second of all" She conceded. The offer of visiting this grouchy house-cat in his own environment was too good to pass up. "Why not tonight? It's still early."

"No, I want some time to think about all of this anyways. Plus I have to get my old mana records to Stien so he can figure out how to build some kind of freaky magic zombie."

"He's not...He doesn't...He only did that once."

Soul stared at her. "I...it was a joke. He actually? Ugh, I don't want to know."

"It was Sid, stupid!"

"Sid's a _zombie?"_

" _Technically!"_

"I just thought he had some... weird sort of skin thing or something."

"His eyes are white!"  
"Mine are red!"

Maka sighed, before it turned into a laugh. "Soul, just, go home. Think. Try to relax. I'll come by in the morning. Is 8:00 good for you?"

" _A.M?"_

"Wha- yes, of course A.M. Are you doing something that early?"

"I'm sleeping. Until like, at least eleven."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am! Who wakes up at 8:00 on a Saturday?"

"Adults do. But eleven is fine." Maka stood up from the bench and started towards her car. "Do you need a ride home? It's no trouble for me, and that way I can know where your apartment is for tomorrow.

Soul stomach clenched. "No, I'll walk." He couldn't stand the thought of an awkward car ride, even if it'd be less than five minutes. "But I'll text you my address for tomorrow."

"Alright then. Have a nice night, Soul."

"You too."

Soul went home, and he thought. He remembered to eat. And even his nightmares were tamed to a demonless expanse of darkness and fear.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been nearly a month, and Stein still had nowhere to go with Soul's mana results. Aside from becoming a bit stronger, as would be expected as he'd gotten older, his magic was basically indistinguishable from its previous records. Despite his general appreciation for a difficult problem, Stein was at a loss, and therefore, so was Maka. Soul's episodes were becoming more frequent, more obtrusive, and more often than not his responses would trail from a conversation, replaced by _that look._ Supposedly, his destructive attacks were getting worse as well, and if the state of his house was any indicator, it was happening a bit too rapidly for anyone's piece of mind, let alone Soul's. Stein had put him on medication to dull his magic until things were figured out.

Soul had refused to elaborate on what his visions entailed, leaving her with only half-strung ideas of a little demon talking about power. It honestly seemed more like the plot of a psychological thriller to her, but even though she had yet to see a full attack, she somehow knew better than to mistrust Soul. Besides, the destructive evidence was too telling. There was no way the damage could have been done by anything but magic, and even though Maka felt that Soul was a powerful wiccan in his own right, hardly anything but a witch could cause that kind of destruction, especially as often as Soul apparently was.

Still though, Maka found it difficult to get caught up in all of that. She was doing all she could, and besides that, she knew that Stein was as well. And Stein had _literally_ brought back the dead. They could handle this. In the meantime, Maka thought she was really making progress with Soul as...well as a _person_.

She had no problem admitting he had gotten on her nerves more than once. But the more she nudged, the more she opened up to him, the more she was just _there_ for him, he started to do the same. And she was noticing more and more, as Wes had indicated from the very beginning, that Soul really was someone special. Below his rough responses and red-eyed glares (and below his semi-regular jabs at her 'nerd' status), he had a beautiful soul. Maka could sense it.

They had taken to spending quite a lot of time together, as Stein would have recommended. Sometimes they would have lunch at a nearby cafe, or go to Soul's favorite music store, and Maka had even dragged him off to the library a few times, but more often than not, they would just hang out at Soul's apartments. Despite her many invitations, Soul had always avoided going to hers. Maka suspected that it had something to do with him only feeling _safe_ in places he considered his turf. She hoped though, that once the hole mess with his attacks was cleaned up, he'd feel a little more secure.

Maka turned the spare key to Soul's apartment in it's lock, opening the door herself after a short knock. He had given it to her just a few days ago, tired of having to open the door when she stopped by earlier than he felt like waking up. Which really, as Maka had learned, was rarely much before noon.

After calling out to him, and determining he was likely still asleep, Maka sat down on Soul's couch and picked up the book that she had left on his end table the night before. Soul would definitely want food when he got up, as he always did, and she felt waiting for him so they could get some breakfast (well, lunch for her) when he got up sounded like a good plan.

Maka hardly noticed when Soul entered the room, as uncharacteristically quiet as he was. Still, she kept her eyes trained on her book for a moment when she greeted him.

"Soul, you're finally…" He was standing in the middle of the room, posture straight, staring at her. No, not at her. In her direction. He had that look in his eyes. Maka put down her book and took a step towards him. "Soul, hey, listen to me, it's just in your head. It'll be fine if you just-"

Before Maka could reach out to touch him, Soul's arms shot forward, and a violent black essence burst forward, sideways, all around the room. The entertainment stand shook. Maka barely caught herself on the back of the couch when the initial smoke faded, and long streams of an almost...blood-like substance came streaming out of his body, the scar from the attack, every bruise and cut he'd sustained in the past month. But it couldn't be blood, it was too dark, almost...black.

Maka didn't have time to think though, because the substance was thickening, hardening, and it shot out at her. It nearly hit her arm before she could jump out of the way.

"Soul, What's happening? Listen to me!"

He was moving now, a mad grin baring his sharpened teeth, aimless intent filling his eyes. He lunged at her, as quickly as the magic had, and again Maka was almost hit.

"Soul, Listen to me! It's in your head!" Another dodge, Magic and Soul becoming all too lethal together. "It's me, it's Maka! I'm right here." The end-tables snapped under the pressure of Soul's magic. "Soul-" A piece of his magic grazed Maka's face as she parried to the side, her own blood bright red against the dark still streaming from her friend. "-Damnit."

She couldn't try to calm him down like this. Maka grabbed her purse off the couch, dodging Soul's strikes, as well as his magic, as she dug around for the pre-made spell that she kept in a ziplock back at the bottom. He father insisted she always keep it with her, just in case. Despite he constant disagreements though, she was glad for it now.

Soul dug his hands into her neck as she stepped close, but it was too late. Maka had thrown as much as the spell into his face as she could, had already uttered the incantation. He dropped her within a moment, and fell to the ground a heartbeat after. Maka touched her own neck as she leaned next to Soul, and turned him on his back. The wound from the attack in the alley was closed again, just a bit red around the sides, and all of his other wounds were healed as well as they had been the night before. He was breathing.

Maka stood up quickly, barely assessing the damage to the room around her. She knew the episodes were getting worse, but this was the undeniable truth. Whatever this was had been by far been the most destructive. She picked up her purse from the ground and grabbed her phone, dialing Stein's number. It was Marie who picked up.

"Maka, how are you?"

"Marie. Where is Stein?"

"Oh, he's working on one of those experiments of his. I think the work on Soul's mana is putting him in a bit of a slump. He can't make heads or tails of it from a wiccan point of view. He's thinking of using traditional science to-"

"Marie, listen. I'm at Soul's house now. Stein needs to get here as quickly as possible. It's absolutely urgent. And tell him to bring his things."

Marie's voice transformed with a tone Maka had heard few times throughout her life. "Are you safe?"

"I...yes."

"Alright. We'll be there in ten minutes." Marie quickly hung up, would surely be here in five. Marie was generally quite mild-mannered, but when the people she considered family were endangered she was a force to be reckoned with. Maka depended on that.

Trying her best to keep him away from the shattered glass from the furniture, Maka pulled Soul onto the couch. Physically, he seemed fine, as if nothing that had just happened had actually happened. But the state of the room around her and her own pumping blood told a different story. Besides, she had no way to gauge the state of Soul's mana, or his mind. She wiped at the cut on her cheek, which was drying by now. If the spell worked as long as it was intended to, then she should be fine until Stein and Marie arrived. Though, the spell was rather old. It didn't _exactly_ have an expiration date, but she also wasn't sure _exactly_ how long it had been sitting at the bottom of her purse, fraternizing with whatever else she had happened to throw in there. She looked down at Soul, who she had laid on his back. She couldn't even connect him to what had just happened.

Maka brushed his hair out of his eyes. They needed to figure out what what happening. They needed to help him.

There was a hard knock on the door. Undoubtedly Marie and Stein. Maka shot up and walked briskly to let them in. If she wasn't there within ten seconds, she was pretty sure Marie would break down the door, and Soul's house had seen enough damage for the day.

Stein was carrying a duffel bag, and As Maka expected, Marie did look just about ready to break in. Maka led Stein to Soul without a word. Marie gasped as the state of the living room, while Stein simply knelt down next to Soul on the couch. "What happened?'

"He had an episode. His magic was black, and it was pouring out of basically every part of him. He was destroying the whole room, it was like he wasn't even there, he…" Maka glanced towards Marie for a moment, gauging her reactions. "He...attacked me. He was completely out of it."

Marie, rather than explode as Maka had expected, only tightened her jaw. The look in her eyes was something between concern and suspicion. "Did you get hurt?"

Maka touched her cheek again. "Just a scratch."

Marie turned towards her, noticing the small cut. Really it was nothing to be concerned with. Marie didn't seem to think so. "Oh, Maka- Stein, do you have-"

"Priorities, Marie." Stein was looking over Soul, checking his vitals, as well as his mana. There was quiet for a few minutes as Maka relayed everything that had happened in more detail. Stein slowly put away his equipment. "He seems normal." He stood up, running a hand over his face. "Mana levels are the same as when I first tested him. His blood pressure is a little high-"

A groan came from the couch. Soul.

"Ugh, my head. What-" He opened his eyes, noticing the small party in his living room. Or perhaps the state of the room itself. "What are you guys- what happened?"

Maka was the one to answer. "You had another attack. I think it was the worst yet."

Soul sat up. "Were you there?"

Maka bit the inside of her lip "Yeah."

Soul's eyes widened. "Are you o-" His gaze zeroed in on the cut on her face. His own expression wasn't that far off from Marie's. "Did I do that?"  
She pursed her lips "You were out of it Soul. Just a little accident."

Soul didn't answer, unwilling to brooch the topic around the other adults. "And you brought Stein and Marie here?"

"The attack seemed worse than usual. I wanted Stein to examine you."

"And I did." the doctor interjected, stepping towards Soul. "Have you been taking the medicine I gave you?"

"I…" Soul looked away. "I don't remember. I think I forgot last night." Maka internally cursed herself. She had stayed later than usual, distracting him at the time he was supposed to be taking it. She hadn't reminded him.

"Well, I think this is a clear reminded that you need to remember in the future." Stein looked around. "Though I had never expected something of this magnitude." He looked back to Soul. "I also need a blood test."

"What? Why?"

"I've not been able to find anything wrong with your mana. But the problem may be your blood. You did have a transfusion at the hospital after the attack, am I correct?"

Soul's face darkened. "Yeah."

"Then the issue could just as easily be in your blood."

Soul rubbed his temple, shifting on the couch. "Fine."  
Stein pulled out more tools, because of course he had the equipment with him. "Is now alright? I'd rather take care of this as soon as possible."

Soul sighed. "Sure."

Stein pushed a needle into Soul's forearm as soon as the younger man had laid down again, and drew the blood within a matter of minutes. It was red, to Maka's relief.

"Alright." Stein said, packing up his tools. "I should have the results tomorrow. I'll call you if we find anything."

Stein left with barely another word and a final look around the room. Marie pulled Maka for a tight embrace, wishing both Soul and Maka well, and left with her husband. Soul and Maka were left in a silence that was not uncomfortable, but terribly, terribly heavy. He would not look at her.

"So…" Maka started. "Wanna get some breakfast?"

Eruka scampered back to Medusa, the video chips from the experiment's abode grasped tightly in her hands. The destruction she had seen there...even by a witch's standards, was severe. She wondered if Medusa knew what she was getting into. It wouldn't be long, at this rate, before Soul's magic completely surpassed her ability to control it, if need arose. Eruka didn't have to be a 'scientist' to know that.

She slowed as she neared Medusa's lab, passing Free, another 'contracted employee', as she entered. He gave her a solemn nod and a look of sympathy, as she passed him, recordings clutched tightly to her chest. She didn't know what was worse, being sent out into the world, where she _knew_ Medusa's abominations were, to run her lethal errands, or staying here, with her, overshadowed by the constant fear that she might snap. Eruka thought that maybe she already had. To someone as dumb as Free though, she supposed there was no difference in either task.

Eruka stood in the back of the shadowed room as Medusa watched the footage on the monitors. She watched every attack, from the smallest sparks behind faraway eyes, to the outright destruction of the room around the subject and his companion.

"Hmm…" Medusa smiled. Not out of pleasure with the results, but perhaps pleased with the processes of science itself. Eruka shivered. "It seems his wiccan blood has made living things a preferable target for the witch's destruction."

The smaller witch did not answer. Like hell she was going to draw attention to herself. She wouldn't feel safe until she was miles away from Medusa. Even then.

But Medusa turned away from her screens, towards the frog witch.

"Eruka...I want you to keep an eye on that Doctor as well. I don't want him determining our involvement."

Eruka croaked. "B-but, he's so dangerous. And that other wiccan he's with, she's…"

Medusa's eyes narrowed. "Did I ask for your opinion on your assignment?"

"N-no ma'am."

"Good. Then go."

Eruka shrank out of the room as Medusa turned back to her screens. To the small, dark cut on the girl's face, to the uneasy posture of the subject.

Interesting indeed.

Soul couldn't remember what had happened after the previous night. It was like he hadn't woken up at all until he was on the couch, surrounded by the doctor and Marie, and Maka.

He had forgotten to take his medication, he was almost certain, but he could still barely believe what had happened. Forgetting one little pill could cause...that. Well, his attacks had been getting worse. But Maka…

He glanced across the restaurant's table, where the woman in question was still talking and smiling as if nothing was wrong. The cut on her cheek was an obvious sign that that was not the case. He didn't want to wonder why that little cut bothered him so much. Why the thought of her getting hurt was so much worse than it would have been a month ago, was so much worse than anything. She was far too full of life for him- she had become his lifeline in all of this.

It was just a cut really, but- _ugh_ this was a mess. Some god damn witches attacked him a month ago, for no reason he could discern, and now he was stuck haunted by some freaky little devil, destroying his apartment, _hurting Maka,_ a person who, faster than he would have thought possible, had become one of the people he cared about the most.

Until this morning, no one had been around him when he'd had a full episode, and according to Maka, it wasn't just some vague flash of destruction as he had assumed. He had _hurt_ her, targeted his specifically, hadn't stopped until she knocked him out with her own spell. If she hadn't had it with her...Soul didn't even want to think about what would have happened. Maka was capable, but the way she had described it, there was no reasoning with that thing. He didn't even want to think of it as himself.

Why was this happening? He knew he was a failure as a son, and that he wasn't always the best brother, or the best friend, but this wasn't fair. People had been assaulted before, people had been assaulted by witches before, and _this_ was not normal. Nothing he'd done justified _this_.

" _Of course you deserve it. This isn't a punishment Soul." Not this god-damn demon. Soul was in the room again. Halfway between the restaurant and darkness. Pieces of his destroyed living room now lay scattered across the checkered floor. "This is a gift. An opportunity." The demon danced around the room, sliding his hands along the piano._

" _Like hell it is. Haven't you bothered me enough for today?"  
_ " _Oh, you know that wasn't me, Soul. That was all you. Or what you could be." The demon grinned. "I just...gave you a little push."_

" _Bullshit."_

"Soul?"

Soul looked up from his eggs. It was nearly dinner time, as it had taken a while to clean up his living room, but it was his first mean of the day, dammit. Maka's concerned gaze flooded his vision. It was bright, despite the setting sun outside. "Sorry. I zoned out."

"Soul, if you need to talk about this, I'm here. I know you're freaked out about what happened this morning, but we'll figure it out. I'm sure of it."

She was too optimistic. "...Thanks. But I'm good." Maka pouted a bit, but resigned. Soul was grateful.

"Alright. But if you changed your mind, know that-"

"I'll go to you Maka don't worry." Soul smirked a bit. "It's not like I talk to anyone else anyway."

"You talk to Wes."

"Not about important stuff." In fact, he was talking to Wes a little less lately. He couldn't tell him about what was going on with his magic; he would turn into an over-bearing mess of older brother worry, and he couldn't really explain why he was spending so much time with Maka. Wes, as a result, had resorted to horrible, juvenile, _teasing_ every time he called his little brother and Maka picked up the phone.

"I guess." Maka pursed her lips while Soul played with the last of his food. She had already finished hers. "Do you wanna go back to my apartment after this? I know you don't normally like to, but…"

"We can go back to mine." Soul answered, quickly. " If that doesn't bother you. I have other rooms, and I called someone to take care of the mess tomorrow."

"Alright, if that's what you want." Soul simply finished off his eggs. "Are you ready to go?"

Soul wiped his mouth. "Yaeh."

After paying their check, Soul and Maka started on the quick walk back to his apartment. They were quiet in the same way they had been earlier, not awkwardly, but heavy. The reality of Soul's condition was weighing on both of them. Maybe they should go to her apartment instead, where a ruined living room wouldn't be a constant reminder of what had transpired that morning. But they were nearly there already.

They were silent still, as they sat in the newly cleaned living room, Maka picking up the book she had left on his couch. Both Soul's end tables had been destroyed, but the blasted keyboard in the corner was still intact, unfortunately. Wes had gotten it for him for his birthday two years ago, after heavy refusal to own a real piano. Maka eyed it every day, even now, as she sat next to him, not reading her book.

"It's nice that that didn't break, huh." She said when she noticed him noticing her.

"I guess."

"At the very least it'll stop Wes from buying you a replacement."

Soul laughed a bit at that, the casualty in Maka's words as comforting as they had ever been. "It's too bad they your book made it though." He retorted. "All my stuff's trashed and you still have the tools to _read."_

"Reading is _fun,_ Soul." But she set down the book. "But what would you rather do? Play the piano for me?" It was half a joke. Maka had made the request many times before, and knew it was virtually futile. He had refused her every time.

But Soul was quiet for a beat longer than usual this time, before he answered. "Not today."

Well, to Maka that was better than nothing. She smiled. "Then what? It's pretty late, so we can't really go anywhere."

"Just...let's just watch t.v. or something. I'm tired. I just wanna hang out."

Maka's gaze softened. She hoped that he wasn't as bothered about this morning as she was, but she knew better. Soul was probably beating himself up tenfold.

"Alright." She leaned over him to grab the remote, before settling back in a little closer than she was before. Soul didn't normally like touching, but he didn't move away. It was the closest Maka could get to a hug, she figured. Or anything more. _No_ , she said to herself, before the thought could fully form. _Now's not the time for that._ Not until all this is over. She hoped that when all of this was over, they would still be friends.

But she didn't have to worry about that, as Soul leaned a little closer to her, both their eyes watching the t.v., but not really. They were tired, from the day and from the weeks, but their souls were alive near eachother.

Slowly, at peace, their souls humming despite the insanity of their lives, they fell asleep.

The next day, Stein summoned the two of them to his office. They did their best, after the soft chaos they had suffered at their own awakening, to show no signs that they had stayed together overnight. "I've figured out why Soul has been having these episodes." Stein was facing them from his swivel chair. Marie stood with him. "It's his blood."

When Stein failed to elaborate, Maka was the one to prompt him. "What do you mean?"

"We suspect that Soul's doctor must have tampered with his transfusion after he was attacked. Much of his blood is that of a witch, structurally speaking."

"You mean someone gave him a transfusion with witches' blood?"

"That's what we believe, yes. Our theory is only supported by the fact that Doctor Medusa seemed to have disappeared as soon as I called the hospital. There really is no other explanation."

Soul spoke now. "So how do we fix it?"

"Fortunately, we have experience with a similar issue." Marie began.

"As you know, I posses witch blood in my body naturally. It was through a transfusion with Marie years ago that I'm able to keep my magic under control."

"So I just need another wiccan transfusion then?"

"Not exactly." Marie answered. "The reason my blood was able to negate the effects is because I have healing mana within it. You would need another with the same ability." She folded her hands. "I would volunteer myself, but we have different blood types."

Soul rubbed his hands through his hair. They were so close to fixing this. So close to getting rid of visions of demons and blackouts and destruction. "So we need to find a donor."

"We already have one." Stein turned towards Maka, and spoke to Soul. "You hand Maka have the same blood type, if she's willing. She has the same healing mana as her mother did. The transfusion would be a bit hard on her, since we would be drawing only from one source, but we shouldn't need too much to correct the effects."

"Of course." Maka answered, before Soul could say a word, before he could even think. "If it helps Soul, I'd do anything."

Soul didn't want to ponder on how such a sentiment made him feel. It made him feel small and extremely full at the same time. In a good way. "Are you sure?"

Maka turned towards him, and took his hand. "Of course. That's what friends are for. We started this together, anyway." She smiled. "It only make sense that we would finish it together too."

Soul thought. With his hand in hers, he was ready to do just about anything. Even accept her help. Even accept her. "Alright."

"Good." Stein's clinical voice did nothing to warm the moment. "We should be able to take care of the procedure today, and the sooner the better. If you're at all busy, clear your schedules. You should head to the hospital as well." Stein turned towards his desk and picked up his phone, officially dismissing them from the room. "I just need to call ahead, but I have my own facility there. It shouldn't be long."

Soul and Maka left as directed, still holding hands. "Are you sure about this?" Soul couldn't help but ask. Maka had been nothing but selfless since the day he had met her, slowly chipping away at his bitterness until she cradled his soul, but if felt like asking too much for her to fix him like this. No one had ever wanted to before.

Maka only held his hand tighter though, and met his gaze. "I'm sure Soul. I'd do most anything for you."

Soul smiled, shark teeth shown, and she didn't cringe, didn't scowl. She only smiled back, glowing like the sun.

 _Me too._

It had been a week since the transfusion. So far, Soul had had no episode's and Maka was recovering from the blood loss excellently. He knew this, because even though there was really no longer a need for them to spend every waking moment together, they still were. Not doing so would upset his brother anyway.

In celebration of his recovery (or officially, just a celebration in general) Liz had thrown a party at Shibusen. She'd invited virtually everyone he knew and didn't despise, and of course Maka's friends as well. He hadn't missed Liz's sly grin when she had brought up the idea, but she insisted it was only because he had so few friends on his own and she wanted this to be an actual party, and Death the Kid would be a detriment to that anyway.

As a result, Tsubaki had been there, the dark haired girl he had met weeks ago and whom Maka mentioned often. As well as _Blackstar_. Maka had mentioned Blackstar as well, but he had somehow doubted that he could possibly worse than Patty. He had never been more wrong, and he suffered their combined forces with terror. How Liz dealt with it nearly every weekend, Soul would never fathom.

Music had played all throughout Shibusen, decent music if Soul dared to say, and even though the facility had been closed for the private party, it was nearly as full as usual. Soul tried to escape to the blackroom several times, but was always dragged back to the people by either his brother, Liz, or Maka. He didn't mind too much when it was the latter, as long as she had done so with a smile and a sympathetic laugh. She knew he hated crowds, and at least her presence had grounded him a bit, guarding him from the onslaught of people until they slowly trickled away. Soon it was just their closest friends, entertained by Liz. Patty and Blackstar had fallen asleep in a corner booth, like small children on New Year's eve, and it gave the place a charming feeling of peace.

As Liz told stories and jokes to Tsubaki and Kid, Soul was finally able to escape to the blackroom. Maka followed him this time, not drawing him back to the others, until he sat down at the grand piano that decorated the room. Maka stood behind him, quiet, waiting. In less time than he had thought possible, through trials and turmoil, she had become his friend, his something more, even knowing him at his worst. And she was still here. She would wait, the only person who would wait, and she would listen, despite her lack of musical capability, in a way he knew no one else could. She would listen to what he had tried to convey since he was ten years old and his parents had scoffed at his first composition, had instilled in him a fear of no one ever understanding. But he wasn't afraid for her to hear for her to understand. He wanted her too. He knew she would.

"Maka?" His voice was soft.

"Yes, Soul?"

"This is the sound of my Soul."

I'm not the best at writing romance, but I hope you enjoyed this, as well as all those other amazing fics and art we're all getting to enjoy with resbang! Happy Resonance Bang 2016 everyone! Hope to see you next year!

Moreso, please please please check out this amazing fic by squeeb100 on tumblr here (though I know sometimes gives trouble with links) : tagged/the-magic-in-their-blood#


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